FCC Chairman Brendan Carr is hailing 2025 as a “historic year” for deregulation and modernization across broadcasting and radio, pointing to a sweeping rollback of long-standing rules and a sharp reduction in the agency’s regulatory footprint, even as a fellow Commissioner warns the approach threatens press freedom.
In a year-end summary, Carr said the FCC eliminated 98 requirements he deemed obsolete and voted to strike 11 additional provisions tied to outdated technologies such as telegraph equipment, rabbit-ear antennas, and telephone booths. Altogether, the agency deleted or proposed eliminating more than 1,100 rules and roughly 134,000 words from the Code of Federal Regulations under what Carr dubbed the “Delete, Delete, Delete” initiative.
Carr highlighted broadcast-specific actions, including the approval of 84 construction permits for new FM, noncommercial television, and low-power radio stations, along with the processing of more than 7,600 licensing matters. Those included nearly 900 assignments and transfers. He framed the effort as reducing regulatory burdens while preserving broadcasters’ public service role.
The Chairman also cited enforcement activity, including proposed fines totaling $400,000 against pirate radio operators accused of interfering with licensed stations. At the same time, the FCC issued an enforcement advisory, urged by Republican Senator Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee, warning that free artist performances at station-sponsored events could constitute illegal payola if tied to airplay.
Beyond broadcasting, Carr said the FCC rescinded several Biden-era initiatives, closed 2,048 inactive dockets, reduced contract spending by $567 million, and shut down DEI advisory committees and task forces.
“The FCC delivered real results for the American people in 2025,” Carr said, arguing the agency removed outdated rules, advanced innovation, and reaffirmed support for free, over-the-air media.
FCC Commissioner Anna Gomez sharply disagreed, warning that recent actions risk entangling the agency in newsroom decision-making. Her criticism followed reports that CBS News delayed a 60 Minutes segment after the federal government declined to respond to its reporting, weeks after the FCC approved Skydance’s acquisition of Paramount CBS with editorial oversight conditions.
Gomez said using regulatory leverage to extract concessions from media companies blurs the line between oversight and editorial control, raising serious First Amendment concerns. She urged transparency about how editorial decisions are made and cautioned that a free press cannot function if the government can effectively veto critical reporting through regulatory pressure.
As the FCC heads into 2026, Carr’s deregulatory agenda and Gomez’s growing dissent set up a contentious environment for the long-delayed Quadrennial Review, with radio ownership limits and the balance between consolidation and localism back in play.